Inception Meeting of the HCFCs Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) of Room Air Conditioner (RAC) and Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) Sector (Stage) was convened in Shanghai on March 11, 2017. This meeting kicked off the stageof HPMP in RAC and HPWH sector of China. Co-organized by United Nations Industrial Development Organizations (UNIDO), Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea, Foreign Economic Cooperation Office (FECO) under China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), and China Household Electrical Appliances Association (CHEAA), it brought together nearly 100 representatives from: Consulate General of the Republic of Italy in Shanghai, Department of Air Environmental Management under MEP, environmental protection administrations in some provinces of China, academic institutions, room air conditioner enterprises and heat pump water heater enterprises.

The 77th meeting of the Executive Committee of Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol ratified HPMP stageand 6 individual production sector plans of China. According to HPMP stageof RAC and HPWH sector of China, RAC and HPWH sector of China is set to cut down HCFC consumption by 20% of the baseline by 2018, and 45% by 2020, a more ambitious target than the previous 35% by 2020.

During HPMP stage, RAC sector of China decided to use R290, a low ODP and GWP refrigerant, as a replacement for HCFC 22, and take R410a as a transitional refrigerant. As of the end of 2015, this sector converted 19 production lines of R290-based RACs, 4 lines of R290-based compressors and 8 lines of R410a-based RACs. RAC sector of China achieved the phase-out target set for HPMP stagewith HCFC consumption of more than11,000 tons.